Geneva Motor Show 2015 in pictures: From concepts and supercars, to hot hatches and the latest in-car tech

The Geneva Motor Show is the auto industry's only neutral-ground show. It is in Switzerland after all. Why's that important? Well, at the Detroit show it's all about a show of force from the Americans. By contrast Paris is the stomping ground for wild French concepts and the newest Renault, while in Frankfurt the Germans go nuts with new models.

In Geneva, every manufacturer tries hard and that's good for anyone after a new car, and even those who aren't: because from good-looking concepts to road-ready supercars, the full spectrum is covered. It's a visual treat – you only need to click through to our show gallery on this very page to get a look at the best (or, in some cases, most "interesting") on display.

If you're more concerned with moving your family about than burning rubber (and let's face it, that's the reality for most of us), there were some important new cars. BMW's first ever MPV (the 2-Series Active Tourer) got a stretch to make it a full 7-seater, and with that came a new name: the 2-Series Gran Tourer. Pity it looks so ugly then. Which is why if you're not so bothered about the badge, on looks alone you'd be better off with the sharp new VW Touran, or the stylish Renault Kadjar – competing with its cousin, the Nissan Qashqai, for most bizarre new car name ever. Speaking of strange name's Vauxhall's new city car is called the Viva – nothing too weird about that, until you realise that in Europe it's badged as an Opel… and called the Karl. Ugh.

We thought this Geneva show might see some major technology breakthroughs, but as usual we had to go on the hunt for such content, as flashy metal got centre stage. Nonetheless, the Volkswagen stand had a nice demonstration of how Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirrorlink will all integrate and work through Volkswagen's touchscreens. It'll cause a riot in the various forums, but the surprise for us was how much nicer and more elegant an interface Android Auto seems than CarPlay – which on the VW at least features an awkward corner-placed home button, to get you back to the menu. Ultimately, for all the promise, if this is the next step of the interface then we can see why Apple might be working on its own car. It feels rather like the Motorola Rokr with iTunes we got when we'd been hoping for the iPhone back in 2005.

From the tech side of things, perhaps most interesting of all is the Audi Prologue Avant. Shown previously only in LA, the Prologue's interface features Samsung's curved screen tech, a hologram cluster and 4K displays. It's not perfect, but it's beautifully integrated into the interior design and was undoubtedly one of the most interesting pieces of tech at the show.

Pocket-lint

Audi Prologue Avant concept

It's just a shame all of this stuff remains so off-limits, especially if you're just a regular visitor. At the show the Prologue is behind a small, but very impenetrable barrier. If the car companies really want to compete on their own terms with whatever Google and Apple are planning long term, they really need to think about how they present and communicate these concepts, and let people have some hands-on time beyond just the dealerships.

Lots to see in Geneva then, but nothing that was massively shocking (except for a few price tags) – which is a shame given the show's history. This year it's a veritable speed-fest. Thank the cheap price of oil, and the fact many markets are finally growing for that. Just don't mention the fact that most of the green cars seem to have gone on the back burner, and that oil prices are on the way up again.

If you're after a new fast car, the show floor of the Palexpo is the place to be. And as it's open to the public until March 15 there's still time to take a look. Although for the not-super-rich among us, instead feast your eyes on our full gallery instead to get the inside line.